Definition
An aircraft maintenance technical publication issued by a manufacturer that provides a quick-reference summary of a key procedure, value, or piece of information already covered in the manufacturer's full maintenance manual. It serves as a pointer back to the detailed source rather than as standalone authority.
Plain English
A short reference card or note from the aircraft maker that reminds a mechanic about something important and points them to the full instructions in the main manual.
Context Anchor
Seen in human factors, training, cockpit workload, checklist use, and procedures that help pilots avoid forgetting important actions.
Derivation
The phrase is built from everyday English: a 'cue' is a prompt or signal that helps you recall something. In maintenance use, the document is named for what it does — it cues the technician's memory about a procedure or specification they have seen before in the full manual.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots rarely use these directly, but understanding that a Memory Retrieval Cue is a pointer (not the full procedure) matters when reviewing maintenance records or discussing work with a mechanic. The authoritative instructions still live in the manufacturer's maintenance manual.
Analogy
Putting your car keys by the door can remind you to take them when you leave. The keys are not the memory; they are the cue that brings the memory back.
Intuition Check
A memory retrieval cue is not the memory itself. It is the trigger that helps you recall the memory or action.
Example Sentence 1
The mechanic checked the Memory Retrieval Cue clipped inside the cowling, then turned to the maintenance manual for the full torque procedure.
Example Sentence 2
During an engine failure drill the instructor's prompt acted as a memory retrieval cue for the immediate action items.